The present invention is directed to a contact element that comprises a pin-shaped section equipped for plugging into a bore of a printed circuit board. The pin-shaped section has two leg members that extend side-by-side in the plug-in direction and merge into one another at each end to provide a resilient section with at least one web extending between the leg members and having a central curvature or angling which is directed transverse relative to the longitudinal extent of the leg members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,498, whose disclosure is incorporated by reference and which is based on the same German Application as European Patent No. 0 089 491, discloses a contact element which has two spaced leg members interconnected by a web that extends therebetween. The two spaced leg members with the web extending therebetween of this contact element promotes the resilient yielding of the leg members and, thereby, reduces the risk of too great and irreversible deformation of the leg members when plugging the contact element into a bore of a printed circuit board. As a result thereof, a permanent, firm seat of the leg members, which are biased against the bore's wall, is guaranteed.